Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) Australian vocational training institute Southbank Institute of Technology Wednesday signed a pact with Franchise India Holdings Limited (FIHL) to provide vocational skill training to students.

In a step aimed at improving employability through focused vocational training, the two institutes will provide vocational training in fields like health and beauty, retail, hospitality and business management.

The students will be offered certificate courses recognised by the Australian institute and the Government of Queensland, Australia.

“We recognise there is a huge demand for specialised training packages in a growing economy such as India, and we believe a partnership between ourselves and Franchise India will be of huge benefit to Indi’s economy,” Southbank director Robyn Tyler said.

Tyler said the institute wanted to establish a pan-India vocational training business to service the growing needs for qualified staff in the retail and hair and beauty industry.

“Not only will the training packages be highly specialised to suit the Indian marketplace, they will be adapted to match the skills and experience needed by specific businesses,” she said.

Franchise India Limited president Gaurav Marya said the aim was to fill the gap between demand from industry and the lack of skilled workers.

“Vocational training in our country is still at a very primitive stage. The programmes don’t suit the needs of the industry. That is where we can take help from institutes like the Southbank Institute in filling the gap,” he said.

Marya said the first batch of students training will start in the first quarter of 2012.